Government and civics come to life with “C-SPAN Classroom”

http://www.c-spanclassroom.org

November 1st, 2005

From the folks at C-SPAN, the cable television channel that broadcasts Congressional hearings, speeches, and other daily Capitol Hill events, comes a new web site for the classroom. Designed specifically for middle and high school civics and government teachers, “C-SPAN Classroom” is a free membership service dedicated to supporting educators’ use of C-SPAN programming in their classes. The site contains a wide range of resources and teaching materials designed to help students understand the workings of the federal government, including free, standards-based video content, lesson plans, and primary-source materials. Future enhancements to the site will include the ability to search the video database by standards and keyword. Soon, the network also will offer video in different formats and downloadable files, making the content easier to access. To commemorate the launch of this new web site, C-SPAN has announced the return of the C-SPAN StudentCam contest. This student video documentary contest, first held during the 2004 presidential campaign, invites middle and high school students to submit short documentaries exploring a current issue to compete for $25,000 in prizes. Teachers and students should visit www.studentcam.org for complete rules and entry information. Entries are due February 28, 2006.